Low-velocity penetrating brain injury: a review of the literature and illustrative case.

Introduction: Low-velocity penetrating brain injury (LVPBI) is a class of brain injury where a foreign object violates the skull and damages the brain. Such injuries are rare and consequently understudied.

Case: As such, we report an illustrative case of a 29-year-old female with a dense, plastic spike penetrating her right orbit and into her midbrain. After assessment with a CT scan and angiography, the object was removed with careful attention to possible vascular injury. The patient had an uncomplicated post-operative course and received antibiotic and antiepileptic prophylaxis. She was discharged on post-operative day 5, experiencing only mild left-sided weakness.

Discussion: Common concerns regarding LVPBI include infection, post-traumatic epilepsy, and vascular injury. A review of published LVPBI cases over the past 20 years demonstrated that most cases (55.2%) are due to accidents. Of patients undergoing surgery, 43.4% underwent a craniotomy, and 22.8% underwent a craniectomy. Despite the grave nature of LVPBI, only 13.5% of the patients died. Additionally, 6.5% of patients developed an infection over their clinical course.

Conclusion: In all, more reported cases further paint a picture of the current state of management and outcomes regarding LVPBI, paving the way for more cohesive guidelines to ensure the best possible patient outcomes.